


Red Flower

by deaththerabbit



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fantasy AU, M/M, kind of a red riding hood au???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 03:12:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14865501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaththerabbit/pseuds/deaththerabbit
Summary: Deep within the woods, a man cloaked in red meets a wolf.





	Red Flower

**Author's Note:**

> This is an early birthday present for Maachan! I hope you (and everyone else) enjoys reading this! ^-^

Stars shimmered in the fading orange sky, lighting Chiaki’s way through the swiftly darkening woods. He pulled his red hood tighter around his face, checking his surroundings before ducking into an enormous fallen tree, hollowed by time and weather.

Chiaki had taken great care hiding his true identity when he had slipped into the woods, only the crest on his favored steel sword capable of giving him away. Tucked beneath the red cloak he wore, it would not pose an issue unless he had need to draw it.

These woods were safe, however, and he had no need to fear the wildlife that inhabited them. The one he held close to his heart had made it clear that no creature residing within the woods would dare raise a claw or fang against him.

It was only human threats that he needed to be wary of. If he were caught by any member of the guard or even a family member, his dearly beloved would be put to death.

Patting his rucksack to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, Chiaki picked up his pace until he had reached the end of the hollow log. He stopped just before leaving the shelter of the hollow tree and tipped his head back, letting out as wolfish a howl as he could manage; the sign that he was almost there.

A flash of red fur flickered through the underbrush, passing behind a large tree. When its owner came around the other side, he was no longer wearing his fur, instead the skin of a human with his hand stuck in two worlds.

Coal-grey ears stood at attention, flicking eagerly against his red and black hair, while he struggled to keep his tail from wagging with excitement he wished to keep under control. Green eyes stared intently at Chiaki, as if trying to memorize every little detail. He placed his hand on the soft tree bark and slowly came out of hiding.

Chiaki couldn’t help but smile, reaching up and slipping off his hood to reveal his face in the dying light. “Kuro.” His voice was low and soft, carrying across to the werewolf with the help of a gentle breeze.

“Prince Morisawa.” Kuro dropped to one knee, bowing before the crown prince who would one day inherit the kingdom his family watched over.

Unable to stop smiling, Chiaki slowly went to stand in front of Kuro. He leaned down and planted a kiss between his soft, furry ears. “When I’m with you, I’m not the prince. I’m just me!” He placed his hands on Kuro’s cheeks gently and tilted his face up just slightly. “Call me by my name.”

“Chiaki...my hero.” Kuro whispered, gazing into Chiaki’s soft brown eyes.

At his words, Chiaki remembered the day they had met. He had been riding through the woods on his mare, having been asked to deal with the rabid wolf that had been attacking travelers.

Instead of a rabid wolf, Chiaki found a wolf defending his territory, and all that inhabited it. Still standing and fiercely defending a smaller wolf pup, an arrow had been protruding from his shoulder.

Unable to harm the wolf, Chiaki had instead taken the time to befriend him so that he could remove the arrow. The wound had grown infected, and were it not for Chiaki, Kuro would no longer be standing there.

Ever since that day, Chiaki had been visiting every other night, eventually discovering the wolf’s secret; the fact that he was a werewolf.

“I’m glad that I was sent to find you, and that I could help you heal.” Chiaki rested his forehead against Kuro’s gently and stared into his green eyes, unsure if he should tell him of his intentions yet.

Kuro was on his feet in a moment, lifting Chiaki into his arms and spinning him around gently. “I am glad you found me. I-” He stopped the moment that Chiaki flinched in pain and set him down carefully. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, it's not your fault.” Chiaki gave him a bright smile, despite the fiery pain that was radiating through his abdomen. “I got into a little fight today. One of my guards attacked a civilian for no reason today.” He sat down and criss-crossed his legs, the sheath his sword rested in digging deep into the soft, mossy ground.

Kuro’s nose wiggled slightly as the faint scent of blood reached it. “Chiaki.” He sat down and scooted close, hesitantly shifting the red cloak Chiaki wore aside.

A thin line of blood had soaked through the fabric of his shirt. “He attacked you.” Kuro’s tone shifted into a growl and his ears flattened to reflect his anger.

“No, I just got in his way. I’m okay, though!” Chiaki leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Kuro in a gentle hug. “Please don’t try to do anything about it! I can only protect you so much.”

Chiaki knew what would happen if Kuro went to his defense, and he knew that he did not hold enough power to keep his father from executing the ‘monster’ that lived in the woods. He was not going to let Kuro risk his life for something that Chiaki had chosen to do all on his own.

“But he hurt you.” Kuro slowly returned the hug, taking care not to cause Chiaki any further harm.

“I know, but...it’s not going to happen again, okay? I’m okay. I promise.” Chiaki paused for a moment, shutting his eyes and pushing his face against Kuro’s neck. “I wanna tell you something, but...we can’t stay out here, okay?”

As Kuro sighed, Chiaki felt his warm breath against his ear. He sat quietly, enjoying the feeling of Kuro’s warm, protective embrace.

“Fine.” Kuro replied finally, letting go of Chiaki and rising to his feet. He leaned down to took both of Chiaki’s hands in his own and pulled him to his feet gently. “Come on.”

Chiaki followed Kuro down a path that had slowly become familiar over the time they had grown close. He was at ease, knowing that it was only the two of them here in the lush green woods.

“Hm? Where are we going?” Chiaki asked curiously when Kuro took him down a different path than they usually took.

Kuro did not reply, instead simply pulling Chiaki along by his hand gently. His ears perked up, shifting around every so often when there was a rustling in the bushes or a breaking twig.

Soft moonlight dappled the forest floor, and in turn those that walked along it. Kuro’s brilliant red-black hair seemed even more beautiful than usual in the silvery moonlight, and Chiaki could not help but stare as they walked along.

“Are you doing alright?” Kuro glanced back briefly, his gaze shifting from Chiaki’s face to where his wound was hidden beneath his red cloak.

“I’m fine! Don’t worry, okay?” Chiaki smiled at him brightly, ignoring the dull pain for the moment. “But I do want to know where we’re going.”

“I just have something to show you.” Kuro replied, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “I think you’ll like it.”

Chiaki tilted his head to the side just slightly, but nodded. “Is it far?” He didn’t mind if it was far; he was just curious.

“Not now. Just a little bit farther, okay?” Kuro paused for a moment and faced Chiaki. He gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek and turned around just as quickly to hide his blush.

Chiaki went bright red, his eyes widening in surprise. He reached up slowly and touched the spot where Kuro had kissed him. He swore he could still feel his lips on his cheek.

Soon enough, the pair reached a dark clearing, not yet bathed in the light of the rising moon. In the center, a beautiful flower stood tall, facing the sky. It hadn’t yet bloomed, dark leaves hiding the budding petals from view.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Chiaki stared up at the enormous flower, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never seen flower like this before, not even in the palace gardens.

“Not quite. Sit down; it’ll be a little bit before it happens. Please rest.” Kuro sat down and pulled Chiaki down with him gently. “Let me fix you, like you fixed me.”

“Ah, but I’m really okay. You don’t need to worry about it. It’s not serious.” Chiaki insisted, leaning against Kuro the moment he was sitting on the ground. He rested his head against Kuro’s shoulder and yawned.

Kuro let out an impatient sigh and rested his head against Chiaki’s. “At least rest for now.” He couldn’t hide the concern in his voice.

“Ah, fine...wait! I have something to tell you! It’s really important!” Chiaki sat bolt upright, hardly noticing the jolt of pain that went through his side. He stared at Kuro intently, wanting to tell him his news immediately, but also wanting Kuro to ask first. He felt as if he were about to burst with sudden excitement.

Kuro’s ear twitched and he gazed at Chiaki adoringly. This was why he loved Chiaki. He was always so happy and excited. He was brave and stood up for those who needed help no matter who or what they were. He was kind and always put others before himself, the incident Chiaki had mentioned earlier an example of that.

“What is it? Did something good happen today?” Kuro asked softly, pulling Chiaki closer again.

“No, it’s not anything like that. It’s...I’ve just made a very important decision about us! You know we can’t be together forever since I’m the prince.” Chiaki explained.

The expression on Kuro’s face when Chiaki looked up at him was one of absolute agony. “Does...that mean you’re not going to come see me anymore? Are...you going to leave me behind…?” His ears drooped, flattening sadly.

“What?! No! That’s not what I mean at all! I love you and I’m never going to go away, okay? I promise you that!” Chiaki put both hands on Kuro’s cheeks and pulled his face down close against his.

Their lips touched, and Chiaki closed his eyes for just a moment. He reached his hands up and slid them gently into Kuro’s soft hair, running his fingers through it and brushing his fingers against his ears every so often.

Kuro’s lips were soft against his own chapped lips, and Chiaki couldn’t help but hope that this moment would never end. But it did.

Chiaki pulled away slowly, opening his eyes to gaze gently at Kuro. “I’m not leaving you. I’m leaving the kingdom. I’m not going to take the throne. I’ve never wanted it, anyway. I want you.” His voice dipped into a whisper.

“You...but what about the kingdom? Who will take care of the kingdom, if you stay with me?” As much as Kuro wanted Chiaki to stay with him, he knew it would throw the entire kingdom into turmoil. He didn’t think there was a way that they could be together without something bad happening in the end.

“When the time comes, my cousin will take my place. Besides! It’s too late for me to change my mind now. I, uh, already kind of made it clear that I wasn’t coming back.” Chiaki scratched the back of his head awkwardly, and gave Kuro a sheepish grin.

“...what did you do?” Kuro asked hesitantly, wondering if he even wanted to know.

“I just...left a note in my room. Ah, it doesn’t really matter what it says, but I think we’ll probably have to leave here...sorry, I know this has always been your home.” Chiaki’s smile began to falter as he wondered if he had done the right thing.

Kuro ruffled Chiaki’s hair and let out a sigh. “Where do you want to go? I’ve heard there are more beautiful woods than these farther north.”

Almost immediately, Chiaki perked right back up. “You’re not mad?” He asked, scooting closer. He hardly dared believe what his ears were telling him. Was Kuro really okay giving up his home for Chiaki?

“Of course not. How could I be mad at you?” Kuro spoke softly, watching Chiaki gently.

Chiaki’s attention was diverted by the sound of something swishing through the dirt just behind Kuro. He tensed up slightly, leaning around Kuro. What he saw was not what he expected to see.

Rustling up the dead leaves and broken twigs was Kuro’s soft, fluffy tail, wagging a mile a minute. It seemed that he could no longer contain his happiness.

Chiaki couldn’t help but laugh. “Your tail’s getting all dirty.” He slipped his cloak off, and slid it beneath Kuro’s tail gently, first removing the twigs that had gotten stuck in his fur.

Kuro went red and averted his eyes for a moment, but it seemed that he could not get his tail to stop wagging. “Are you really going to stay with me?”

“Of course! I love you, and you’re all that I want!” Chiaki straightened up, letting out a happy hum.

Just then, a bright beam of moonlight shone into the clearing, directly onto the budding flower. Almost immediately after, the leaves hiding the beautiful petals began to peel away, revealing the bright red flower bud.

“Look!” Kuro said suddenly, nudging Chiaki and nodding towards the flower. “It’s a special flower. It bloomed the night before I met you. It only blooms under the moonlight, and is said to bring whoever watches it bloom great happiness.”

Chiaki blinked, staring up at the giant flower in awe. “Wow…” He was rendered near speechless as the petals slowly began to bloom.

It looked like some sort of tropical flower, its long red petals beginning to droop down beautifully. Tiny yellow stems protruding from the center of the flower, like a lily. There was no match for its beauty, and just watching it bloom was enough to give Chiaki contentment.

He leaned against Kuro, happy to watch the flower bloom. Any worries he had melted away like ice in the summer.

Everything would turn out well for them, he was sure. If the flower brought happiness, he had no reason to fear. Kuro seemed to feel the same way, resting his head on Chiaki’s gently.

Absorbing the happiness the flower brought, Chiaki thought of the life they would have together; free and unrestrained.

Silently, Chiaki reached over and took Kuro’s hand in his own. Everything would be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed reading this! This has been one of my favorite fics to write so far??? If you want to suggest something for me to write, you can find me @shichibunny


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